Oil well pump and sand trap



March 25, 1941. FOGGAN 2.236.210

OIL WELL PUMP AND SAND TRAP Filed NOV. 2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l George JV. F'oggam WHMESS 3&3 050 I7 I JiwM 2 I I 1" March 25, 1941. G. NIFOGGAN 2,236,210

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George F 035607?) WITNESS if! V Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in deep well pumps and is particularly adapted for oil wells, the principal object being to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive, easily installed and efficient pump having novel provision for trappingsand and sediment in the upper portion of a combined sand trap and anchor, and for pumping the liquid from the lower portion of said sand trap and anchor, said upper and lower portions being segregated from each other by means of a packer.

Another object 'is to provide a pump of the class set forth which may be made to flood the oil bearing sands with some of the liquid being pumped.

A further aim is to provide a novel coupling for connecting a string of tubing with the sand trap and for connecting the pump barrel with a pipe which conducts the liquid to said barrel.

A still further object is to provide said coupling with a seat for the standing valve of the barrel.

Yet another aim is to provide said coupling with a restricted liquid passage which outwardly conducts some of the liquid being pumped to flood the oil bearing sands.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawmgs.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view partly in.

elevation showing a pump constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 jointly disclose a sectional view with parts broken away.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the above mentioned coupling.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on line Et of Fig. 3.

Figure '7 is a horizontal section on line 'l-'I of Fig. 2.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

In the drawings above briefly described, C denotes a specially constructed coupling, said coupling including an outer coupling sleeve 8 which connects the lower section 9 of a string of tubing It! with a sand trap and anchor II. Within and spaced from the outer sleeve 8, is an inner coupling sleeve I2 which connects the pump barrel I3 with an oil-conducting pipe M. The two sleeves 8 and I2 are spaced apart sufiiciently to provide an ample conducting passage I5 through which sand may descend into the sand trap and anchor I I, and I provide means I6 rigidly securing said'sleeves to each other without materially obstructing said passage I5, said means I6 being preferablyfin the form of two tubular spokes or 5 the like integrally joined to said sleeves 8 and I2.

The oil-conducting pipe I4 is provided at its lower end with a packer I! which is tightly fitted into the trap and anchor II, dividing the interior of said trap and anchor into an upper trapping chamber U for sand S and other sediment, and a lowerv chamber L which receives the oil from the well through suitable, perforations I I. If desired, the pipe I4 may be provided with a nonreturn valve I8.

The barrel I3 is Within and spaced from the lower section 9 of the string of tubing It, the upper end of said barrel being held centered within said tubing section 9 by means of an appropriate spider I9. Immediately below this spider, the barrel I3 is preferably formed with a bleed opening 20. A suitable standing valve 2| is disposed in the lower end of the barrel I3, said standing valve being preferably provided with a tapered lower end 22 snugly seated within the flared upper end or seat 23 of the inner coupling sleeve I2.

A tubular plunger 24 is reciprocable in the barrel l3 and is provided with a suitable piston or sucker 25 contacting with the inner side of said barrel. The upper end of the plunger 24 is provided with a non-return valve 26 and with suitable prcvision for coupling it to the usual sucker rod 21. An appropriate guide 28 is provided for the plunger 24, said guide being snugly forced into the upper end of the barrel I3.

It is preferable to provide the coupling C with a restricted passage 29 from the interior of the inner coupling sleeve I2 to the exterior of the outer coupling sleeve 8, said passage 29 being preferably about one-eighth inch in diameter. When this passage is incorporated in the pump, the coupling C is located about even with the top of the oil sand. During operation of the pump, the small passage 29 admits very little liquid and the main supply must therefore enter through the perforations II' below the packer I1, insuring that any water in the wellbelow the oil shall first be pumped out. Then, upon continued pump operation, the pump withdraws the oil from the well until the oil level lowers sufiiciently to uncover the passage 29, whereupon gas or air enters this passage and breaks the suction of the pump, insuring that the oil bearing sand shall not be pumped dry. The pump is then preferably stopped until the well refills with oil but if til pump operation be continued, the pump will again lift the oil when the level rises sufiiciently to close passage 29, only to stop pumping again When the oil lowers and again uncovers said passage 29.

In operation, with the pump installed, within the usual well casing (not shown), reciprocation of the plunger 24 causes the liquid to follow the path indicated by the arrows a on Fig. 1, said liquid entering the trap and anchor ll below the packer I8, passing upwardly through the tube or pipe l4 into the barrel l3 upon ascent of said plunger 2i, and upon descent of said plunger, passing through the latter and its valve 26 into the string of tubing, which string conducts it to the surface of the ground. Any sand which is received in the string of tubing with the oil, has a chance to settle and take the course indicated by the arrows b in Fig. 1, said sand and any other sediment in the oil descending between the barrel l3 and th tubing section 9, passing through the space it within the coupling C and being received in the trap and anchor I I, as indicated in Fig. l.

The construction is obviously such that it may be easily assembled and installed, and such that effective operation may be had, coupled with trapping the greater part of the sand and sediment which would otherwise be discharged to a large extent with the oil.

Excellent results are obtainable from the construction shown and described and it is, therefore, preferably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made as above stated.

I claim:

1. In a Well pump, a tubular sand trap and anchor having a perforated lower portion to admit liquid, an outer tubular coupling connected with the upper end of said sand trap and anchor, an inner tubular coupling and spaced from said outer coupling, means rigidly securing the two couplings to each other and leaving a sand-conducting space between them, a liquid-conducting pipe within said sand trap and anchor and having its upper end connected with the lower end of said inner coupling, a packer on the lower end of said liquid-conducting pipe and fitted into said sand trap and anchor above said perforated portion thereof, a string of tub-- ing having its lower end connected with said outer coupling, a barrel within said string of tubing having its lower end connected with the upper end of said inner coupling, a standing valve for preventing down-flow of liquid through said barrel, and a tubular plunger reciprocable in said barrel for elevating and discharging liquid into said string of tubing above said barrel, said plunger having a piston engaging said barrel and bein provided with a non-return valve.

2. In a well pump, a tubular sand trap and anchor having a perforated lower portion to admit liquid, an outer tubular coupling connected with the upper end of said sand trap and anchor, an inner tubular coupling within and spaced from said outer coupling, means rigidly securing the two couplings to each other and leaving a sandcenducting space between them, a liquid-conducting pipe within said sand trap and anchor and having its upper end connected with the lower end of said inner coupling, a packer on the lower end of said liquid-conducting pipe and fitted into said sand trap and anchor above said perfionated portion thereof, a string of tubing having its lower end connected with said outer coupling, a barrel within said string of tubing having its lower end connected with the upper end of said inner coupling, a spider on the upper end of said barrel and holding the same centered within said stringof tub-ing, a standing valve for preventing down-flow of liquid through said barrel, a plunger guide at the upper end of said barrel, and a tubular plunger passing reciprocably through said guide for elevating and discharging liquid into said string of tubing above said barrel, said plunger having a piston engaging said barrel and being provided with a non-return valve.

'3. In a well pump, an outer coupling sleeve, a tubing section and a sand trap connected by means of said outer coupling sleeve, said sand trap having a perforated portion to admit liquid, an inner coupling sleeve Within and spaced from said outer sleeve to permit sand to descend between said sleeves, a barrel and a liquid conducting pipe connected by means of said inner sleeve, the lower end of said liquid con-ducting pipe being in communication with the upper portion of said sand trap to receive the liquid admitted through said perforated portion of said sand trap, and means rigidly securing said sleeves together without materially restricting the sand-conducting space between said sleeves.

GEORGE N. FOGGAN. 

